Jiraiya stumbled forward, lazily waving a bottle in the air as he approached the group. His eyes were half-lidded, but there was still a sharpness behind them that no amount of alcohol could dull. He grinned, displaying his usual carefree nature.
"Since we have to work on your teamwork, I need to know how much work I have to do. So, time to see what teamwork you can manage when your sensei isn't sober!" Jiraiya chuckled, taking another swig from his bottle. "Don't worry, though. This is just a little exercise to get your blood pumping."
Kaida glanced at Kabuto, who raised an eyebrow, amused at seeing one of the Sannin in such a state. Itachi, however, remained as calm as ever, though Kaida could swear he saw a small smirk tug at the corners of Itachi's lips.
"First task," Jiraiya said, stretching dramatically, "is capturing me. You've got three minutes to tag me. If you can do that, then I'll treat you all to some dango later. Deal?"
Kaida's eyes lit up at the challenge. Jiraiya may have been tipsy, but he was still one of the Legendary Sannin. Tagging him would be no easy feat, especially when they had to work together to do it. Normally, it should be easier with more people, but someone of Jiraiya's level could easily cause chaos in even a fully organized team, let alone them.
"Ready when you are," Itachi said, already calculating strategies in his mind. Being the captain of the team, his decision was all Jiraiya needed.
Jiraiya wobbled a bit but then crouched low, his bottle vanishing into a puff of smoke as he cracked his knuckles. "Three minutes start now!"
The air shifted in an instant. Kaida activated his Sharingan, locking onto Jiraiya's every move. Kabuto adjusted his glasses, scanning the environment for any signs of traps or tricks. Meanwhile, Itachi stayed perfectly still, as if waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Jiraiya dashed forward, his movements surprisingly swift despite his earlier drunken appearance. Kaida used chakra enhancement to run toward Jiraiya at full speed, aiming to cut off his escape with a shadow clone. But Jiraiya vanished into thin air, reappearing behind Kabuto.
"Sloppy," Jiraiya teased, flicking Kabuto on the back of the head before disappearing again. Kabuto wobbled slightly but didn't lose focus, trying to catch Jiraiya, who had already vanished once more.
With this, Kaida and Kabuto understood that alone, they stood no chance, even against a drunk Jiraiya. Itachi, who had not moved from his position, was already planning as he saw Kaida and Kabuto approach. Having been on the battlefield since childhood, he had an excellent understanding of teamwork, and as the clan heir, he was also trained in leadership and the ability to bring out the full potential of his subordinates.
"Itachi, Kabuto, we have to work together. We stand no chance alone," Kaida said, spinning to face Jiraiya's next possible location.
"That goes without saying," Kabuto replied, also using chakra to enhance his physical abilities. Though not at Kaida's and Itachi's level, he was not weak either.
"Wait," Itachi said calmly.
Jiraiya reappeared in the distance, laughing as if this was nothing more than a game. But Itachi was already prepared. As soon as Jiraiya stopped to laugh, Itachi released a genjutsu so subtle that even Jiraiya would take a moment to notice.
Kaida saw the slight shift in Jiraiya's posture—a momentary pause in his movements. That was all they needed.
"Now!" Itachi commanded.
Kaida and Kabuto moved in unison. Kabuto threw a barrage of kunai, forcing Jiraiya to dodge, while Kaida sprinted forward, aiming to close the distance. With his enhanced speed, he was a blur of motion, coming at Jiraiya from an angle he couldn't easily avoid.
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, impressed despite himself, but at the last second, he used Earth Release: Iron Skin Jutsu and swatted the kunai with his bare hand. Just when Kaida was about to reach him, Jiraiya flickered away again, leaving behind an explosive tag.
Seeing this, Kaida used every bit of his power to jump back. While in mid-air, he used Gale Palm Jutsu to push himself further, diverting some of the fire in the process.
But the explosion everyone was expecting never happened. Kaida landed 13 meters away from his previous position.
"That was fake, but enemies will use real ones. So, think thrice before charging toward an enemy," Jiraiya said with a smile.
Kaida berated himself. Jiraiya had already taught him these basics, but he had considered this a game and thought there was no need to be so cautious. Such rookie mistakes had killed hundreds of genin on the battlefield.
"Yes, sensei," Kaida replied.
While this was happening, Itachi had already moved. Just as Jiraiya flickered away from Kaida's reach, Itachi used the Body Flicker Jutsu to appear right behind Jiraiya.
The smile on Jiraiya's face vanished. Without wasting a second, he gave a roundhouse kick to Itachi, who was just behind him.
"Never think the enemy is distracted on a battlefield. It may be a ploy to lure you into a trap," Jiraiya said, standing straight as Itachi slid a certain distance before stopping.
"Okay, sensei," Itachi replied, ignoring the pain in his forearm, which he had used to block Jiraiya's kick. Just when they were about to continue their efforts, Jiraiya spoke again.
"That's enough. Three minutes are over, and I've got a basic idea of your teamwork capabilities. That subtle genjutsu was quite great, Itachi. Kabuto, your timing with the kunai throw was on point. As for you, Kaida, if you had waited for the right moment like Itachi, your chances of winning would've been better."
He paused before continuing, "Individually, you all did great, but in terms of teamwork, it was subpar. Even though you used the openings created by others well, that's not enough to be considered good teamwork. You should try to enhance each other's performance and create chances for your teammates because, ultimately, one move is enough to change the course of a battle completely. You need to do everything you can to make that move—either by yourself or by helping your teammate do it."
Everyone nodded, absorbing the knowledge like a sponge. "Now, get ready. We're going to start the real training from here on…" Jiraiya said, moving his chakra in such a way that he sobered up within a minute, as if he had never drunk a drop of alcohol.
"For starters, let's begin with…"
Jiraiya started teaching them about teamwork and much more, lessons they would need not only now but for their whole lives. Being a war veteran and a member of the Legendary Sannin, there were very few people who could teach this better than him.
For the next five days, they performed various exercises and learned much theoretical knowledge as well, becoming more and more coordinated day by day. By the end of the week, the three ninja stood in front of Jiraiya once again, with sparks of determination visible in their eyes.
(A.N: the backlog is complete ^~^, enjoy you weekend guys)